2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM IS INSUFFICIENT FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS WEIGHT. THESE MINI VANS SIMPLY WILL NOT STOP UNLESS BRAKING COMPONENTS ARE NEW AND COOL. AFTER NOMINAL LOW SPEED CITY DRIVING, THE BRAKING SYSTEM SUFFERS SEVERE FADING. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IF THE SYSTEM, WHEN WARM, HAS ENOUGH MUSCLE TO LOCK THE TIRES IF THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM WERE TO BE TEMPORARILY DISABLED OR DISCONNECTED. NHTSA ENGINEERS: TEST THESE BRAKES WARM WITH THE ANTILOCK DEFEATED. THEY ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO LOCK THE TIRES! THE MANUFACTURER HAS "HIDDEN" AND ANEMIC BRAKING SYSTEM WITH THE ANTILOCK.*AK

AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS MY WIFE STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES. I THOUGHT IT WAS HER. EVENTUALLY SHE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE CHECKED. THEY REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER 7/31/01. ON AUGUST 29 2001 SHE BROUGHT IT TO THEM AGAIN FOR BRAKE PROBLEM. THEY BLED AND ADJUSTED THE SYSTEM. ON 2/10/02 MY WIFE COMES INTO THE DOOR AND SAYS SHE CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE WORN TO BACKING PLATES AND THERE IS NO TO LITTLE TREAD LEFT ON THE FRONT TIRES. WE DECLINED THEM DOING THE REPAIRS. WE BROUGHT IT TO KING BEAR. THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED NEW ROTORS. WE HAD THEM CUT THE ROTORS AND PUT NEW PADS ON. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM ON 2/20/02. I FELT IT WAS RIDICULOUS THAT THE BRAKES, ROTORS AND TIRES ALL NEEDED REPLACING AT 19,000 MILES AND WANTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED. THEY SAID IT IS NORMAL BRAKE OPERATION. WE BOUGHT A DODGE MINIVAN IN 1990. WE REPLACED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AT 48,878 MILES. WE PUT 4 NEW TIRES ON AT 50,000 MILES. WE REPLACED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AT 82,190 MILES. REPLACED 4 TIRES AT 108,520 MILES. REPACED FRONT ROTORS AND PADS AT 108,537 MILES. MY BROTHER HAS A 1998 DODGE PICKUP AND JUST REPLACED THE BRAKES AT 48,000 MILES. CAN YOU HELP US? *AK (TIRESIZE: P215/65R15)

SUMMARY: SINCE NOVEMBER 2000 MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES RELATED TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILING. THREE OF THOSE TIMES THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THE MOST RECENT OCCURANCE WAS NOVEMBER 16TH. THEY ARE ONCE AGAIN FAILING. THE FOLLOWING IS THE TIMELINE OF REPAIRS: 11/29/00 MCKINNEY DODGE, 15,396 MILES, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED, FRONT BRAKE ROTORS RE-MACHINED; 02/06/01 @ 19,224 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY"- BRAKES BLED; 02/28/01 @ 20,334 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY"- BRAKES BLED; 03/03/01@ 20, 527 MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED; 04/17/01, BENSON DODGE, 22,097 MILES, SYSTEM "SLUSHY" BRAKES BLED; 04/16/01 DAIMLER/CHRYLSER CONTACTED, REF # 8524982; 11/16/01 @ 32, 328 MILES, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED; 11/16/01 DAIMLER/CHRYSLER CONTACTED, REF # 9367556; 11/19/01 @ 32,500, RETURNED TO BENSON DODGE, MASTER CYLINDER LEAKING FLUID; 01/07/02 DAIMLER CHRYSLER CONTACTED, REF# 9519579. THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO BENSON DODGE TOMORROW (01/08/02) ONCE AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS ONCE AGAIN "SLUSHY" AND THE PEDAL IS GRADUALLY GOING TO THE FLOOR.*AK

SINCE APRIL 2000 I HAVE EXPERIENCE PROBS WITH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. IT BEGAN CLICKING IN THE REAR, I WAS TOLD BY DLR THAT ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENTS. 2 WEEKS LATER CLICKING BEGAN AGAIN, LOUDER THAT TIME. DLR KEPT VEH SD THEY COULDN'T LOCATE PROB. SO THEY CLEANED BRAKES AND TURNED ROTORS. CLICKING THEN BEGAN IN FRONT OF VEHICLE, ONLY WHEN STOPPING, AND EXCESSIVE GRINDING SOUND BEGAN AND THE VEH WOULD WOBBLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP. DLR ADV THAT IT WAS DUE TO HEAT???? SO THE ROTORS WERE MAINTENANCED AGAIN. CLICKING STARTED AGAIN ABOUT A MONTH LATER AND CONTINUES WHEN STOPPING AS WELL AS A SOUND OF FLUID "SWISHING" AND GRINDING AT HALT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THEY KEEP RETURNING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, I AM RETURNING TO SERVICE TOMORROW AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING FULL REPAIRS. CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED AND BASICALLY HAS BEEN NO HELP. WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP IF PROBLEM CONTINUES?*AK